Reflective synopsis

The use of technology in the learning environment should not be assumed to be simply a good or bad thing. Correctly applied, web 2.0 tools can enhance the learning experience. Conversely, the use of technology for its own sake is to be avoided at all costs. The past seven weeks have provided the opportunity to explore many new learning tools, as well as revisiting some from a fresh point of view.

One of the key learning’s to be taken away from the weekly tasks is the need to view any new tool with an open mind, or a variety of hats. While past experience can provide valuable insight regarding what works in a learning environment, to allow that to strongly colour the learning manager’s thinking when encountering a new tool, could easily lead to missed opportunities. This was demonstrated right from the start, with a look at mobile phones utilising De Bono’s six hats framework. Using this framework forces the user to consider ideas that may well have remained hidden. Personally, considering the uses of mobile technology in and out of the classroom was a real eye opener. From a position of “no way do I want phones in my classroom”, to one that sees that, with care and planning, they could prove a key to unlocking a the world is my classroom attitude.

Looking at the possibilities of various learning spaces, I was most taken by the potential of using the three tools in unison. A website space, like Weebly, could be used as a virtual classroom, hosting links to all the learner’s materials. The use of blogs in this course has demonstrated that a blog can become an online exercise book or continual essay host. I set up a Wikispace, looking at freeform poetry. Combined, these tools will allow me to expand the concept of the learning environment. No longer required to be brick and mortar, learning can happen anywhere there is Wi-Fi.

The idea of using imagery and video in learning is hardly new. I have used images and memes in recent classes as discussion starters. Looking at a statement, what do the learners think of it? Questioning to induce reflection, a conversation is able to be had, which ideally will lead to the students reflecting on their own beliefs and ethics. As posted in a blog separate to these, here, I believe that YouTube and other video sharing tools can be a fantastic teaching aid. Being able to watch classes at home can free up the learning manager to do more assistance work in class time. Again, the concept of learning environment needs to change; old thinking can be restrictive in viewing this idea in a positive light.

Presenting in the learning environment needs to engaging. The modern student is used to being entertained at all times. While teaching is not strictly a performance, there an element of that to it. Using the right tool, these efforts can be enhanced. I personally loved using Prezi and have used it since that week in the classroom setting. Others may prefer to stick with PowerPoint, which, once it is learned, can be wonderfully dynamic in the right hands. These tools of course tie back in with the previous paragraphs.

As mentioned earlier, my thinking around the use of portable devices in the learning environment was coloured by my closed minded thinking. With the use of De Bono’s hats, I was able to see ideas that were previously escaping thought. How the other tools are used is dependent on the device that is used to access them. With a phone or tablet device, the learning environment can be wherever the student is. Checks and balances are most definitely required to ensure that the devices are used in an ethical manner and also so they do not become a distraction in the classroom. I have witnessed how students being able to listen to music on their players can have a negative effect on the classroom. A clear understanding of the expectations regarding their use will need to be established.

The experience I have had in playing with and using these tools has been incredibly beneficial to me going forward. Each tool has its strengths and weaknesses. As a learning manager, I will need to be conscious not to be using technology for its own sake. Used thoughtfully, web 2.0 tools will assist my learners to become fully engaged in the learning as well as catering to a wider range of learning styles. I will need to always keep an open mind and be prepared to discard those ideas that are not as useful as I may have first thought, as well as looking for new opportunities.

Links to the blogs:

http://notenoughtimeto.blogspot.com.au/2013/07/teaching-tools-of-web-week-3-e-learning.html
http://notenoughtimeto.blogspot.com.au/2013/07/more-on-digital-tools.html
http://notenoughtimeto.blogspot.com.au/2013/08/i-kind-of-want-to-just-skip-ahead-to.html
http://notenoughtimeto.blogspot.com.au/2013/08/e-learning-tools-devices.html

E-learning tools - the devices

The idea of using mobile technology in the classroom can be quite daunting at first. It is easy to see the issues without considering the potential benefits. To move past this, as discussed in the first of this series of posts, a different type of thinking structure can be utilised, leading to ideas that otherwise would have been left lying dormant in some forgotten corner of the mind.

The tablet or phone tools we now have available to us are truly remarkable. It is only a short journey back in time when the capabilities of the average smartphone would have been unthinkable on the best computers in the world. Consider the multiple functions: phone, conference facility, video camera, digital camera, music and video player. That list is substantial before we even begin to look at the multitude of apps available to enhance all of the above.

In the education setting the opportunities are only limited by the thinking of the participants. It is perfectly conceivable that whole assignments, including research, could be put together on a device about the size of a piece of paper, before being shared through Google Drive or similar. With video editing apps cheaply available, students could be using footage they have taken as part of presentations. For students separated by distance or even illness, the capabilities coupled with the mobility of these devices, mean they can be part of the classroom from home or hospital. Even for those in the classroom, presenting to the device may be a step towards speaking confidence for the introverted student.

This last group of tools has the potential to enable all those involved in the learning experience to fully grasp the potential of the other tools discussed in these posts. Education does not need to be restricted to one place or time. Utilising all the technology available, in a well thought out manner, could lead to education becoming truly embedded in the lives of the students. There is much to be considered when planning technology use and all use should be purposeful in the learning environment. On the other hand, to be restricted by the fear of the prospective issues, could lead to the missing of some wonderful opportunities.

My short paper gibberish, available for critique.

Reading with the wisdom of Stephens and the insight of Rose

While the requirement for analysis crosses many disciplines, the nature of poetry sees this need perhaps greater than other forms of literature. Through seeking deeper understanding and significance, the reader of poetry is able to feel the words in a more insightful fashion than what a straightforward reading may offer. With this in mind, poetry should be looked at as more than the sum of its parts, or structure. A sonnet, such as Drayton’s 6^th, offers much more than fourteen lines of pretty words.

How many paltry, foolish, painted things,
That now is coaches trouble every street,
Shall be forgotten, whom no Poet sings,
Ere they be well wrapt in their winding-sheet.
Where I to thee eternity shall give,
When nothing else remaineth of these days,
And Queens hereafter shall be glad to live
Upon the alms of thy superfluous praise.
Virgins and matrons, reading these my rhymes,
Shall be so much delighted with thy story
That they shall grieve they liv'd not in these times,
To have seen thee, their sex's only glory.
So shalt thou fly above the vulgar throng,
Still to survive in my immortal song. (Drayton, 1619)

Although there may be several styles of sonnet, this is most definitely the English form. The ABAB rhyme, three quatrains and a couplet leave little room for any other definition. This sonnet catches the eye and ear with the contempt or disdain Drayton shows for all other women, when compared to his heart’s desire. From the collection of sonnets that make up Idea, published in 1619, this sonnet is one of 73 proclaiming the glories of Anne Goodeere, whom Drayton was said to be in love with (Jokinen, 2007).

The ‘paltry, foolish and painted things,’ troubling ‘every street’, seem to be utterly unworthy of his, or anyone’s contemplation. The stress placed on the first syllables of those three adjectives can be almost spat out as much as spoken. His contempt is completed through the second half of the first quatrain 'Shall be forgotten, whom no Poet sings, Ere they be well wrapt in their winding-sheet’; they will be dead and gone with none to remember them. This language marks all other women as very poor things indeed. In this first quatrain he is also setting up the rest of the sonnet; the ‘whom no poet sings,’ line is in direct contrast to what he is offering below.

The next quatrain sees the tone of the speaker changing, softening to one of seduction. Rather than reflecting on the lowliness of others, these and the following four lines focus on the glory of Anne and the poet himself. This quatrain sees Drayton’s ego let off the leash, claiming that even queens will be glad to live on the leftovers from his ‘superfluous praise’. The idea of achieving immortality through words is presented more clearly in these lines; only hinted at in the negative through the first quatrain. This immortality is a gift able to be bestowed by the author, ‘Where I to thee eternity shall give’, the words surviving long after what ‘remaineth of these days’. Drayton is gifting Anne with ‘eternity’.

The last of the quatrains bring both their glories together; his writing and her splendour. Written at about the same time, it is not too far a leap to the sentiment of Shakespeare’s St Crispin’s day speech in Henry V. where those not able to be at the battle or, in this case, witness the beauty shall ‘hold their manhoods cheap’ or ‘grieve they have not lived in these times’. Again, Drayton is returning to the idea of immortality achieved through words. This time he is suggesting that not only will they be wishing for but a fraction of the praise outlaid in these sonnets, they will also regret that they were not around to witness the beauty here described, the last of these lines crowning her the female ‘sex’s only glory’.

The couplet contains a promise, that through his writing, she will forever be above all others, or ‘fly over the vulgar throng’ in Drayton’s words. The promise of immortality also returns, this time directly attributing this ability to his ‘immortal words’. With other Drayton pieces based on the earlier style of Horace and Ovid (Jokinen, 2007), it may be suggested that the poet was well aware of the eternal nature of literature.

It is perfectly understandable if the reader is left in no small amount of awe at Drayton’s degree of devotion to his love. His heart is openly on display for the world to see, both in this and the rest of the collection. This particular sonnet is almost amusing in parts, though all of the sonnets combined are an epic work of flattery.  Mr Keating, Dead Poets Society, spoke of poetry being used to 'woo women'. This takes it to a whole other level. That Drayton never succeeded is in no way reflective of his poetic efforts to do so, though without this profounder understanding, through analysis, the reader may be excused for viewing these fourteen lines as not much more than an historical curiosity.

Week 5 E-learning blog

I kind of want to just skip ahead to what, for me, has been the find of the course so far and just talk about how awesome it is and that the world is now a better place. Surely that would reduce my marks though, which would make me sad. I do not wish for that. This week we are considering the use of three presentation tools as well as a host of technologies that can be used to aid learning. I will save my fave for last, so here is just a couple of comments on the others.

The first tool we came across, can be used for both good and evil; the infamous PowerPoint. I have sat through many a presentation, hating the PowerPoint creators with no small amount of passion. I am sure I am not the only one. This tool, more than any other we have discussed, encompasses the concept of not using something just because you can. Used well, the PowerPoint slideshow can be dynamic and make for a compelling experience. Used badly and it harks back to Uncle Marvin’s holiday slides.

The term scrap booking put me off from the start, though I am sure Glogster is much more than that. The idea of incorporating a variety of virtual media on the one space, I am sure could be fun and exciting. Collaborative projects could be put together with ease and vibrant displays made with the students working from wherever they may be. The fact I was unable to get an example to download onto my screen though, highlights an issue with all such technology and could well lead me into a diatribe about the NBN, download limits and, so-called, comparable access. I will have to look more closely at this one in 2020 when we should have a reasonable connection at home.

There really is a whole world of tech out there to explore; we had a nice little list of examples to consider. Google maps and earth are tools that most would be familiar with. The ability to explore the world through your computer screen is incredibly exciting. Just today I was checking out the size of Central Park in New York; amazing how big the city is compared to a city like Sydney, let alone downtown Proserpine. A simple comparison such as that could be used to give students perspective, or, using the photos and information embedded in the program, more in depth explorations could be made. The other really cool thing, one that I have seen in a number of TED talks, is Gapminder. An interactive graphing tool, Gapminder is a way of displaying information, statistics in particular, that is both interactive, easy to understand and fun to use. There are heaps already to use or you can make your own. This one, shows the growth of CO₂ emissions since 1820. There is also a map tab, so that the growth by countries is more easily seen. Many, many classroom uses across all subjects are imaginable.

Now to the really good bit.

As stated earlier, PowerPoint has its place. That being said, its place is no longer near me. My world is now Prezi. Combined with the snipping tool, the other great find of this course, I very quickly started putting together the unfinished lesson displayed below. It seems to be everything PowerPoint is, but easier to use and more dynamic. Video, text and images are able to be quickly dumped on the page. Titles can be aligned using the guides that pop up at the appropriate time. If you require guidance, there are premade templates as well as many Youtube clips to assist the development of your vision.

For the lesson I am teaching next week, this term is being spent looking at domestic violence, I am in the position of being unsure exactly what will be covered by the regular teacher or the DV counsellor between now and then. Therefore I am setting up a flexible lesson that can flow wherever it needs to. We can look at what to do if your friend is being abused, how to know if are being abused yourself and I want to finish with looking what constitutes being strong. I can present this like I would a normal slide show, or I can easily zoom in and out, jumping to where the classroom conversation leads us. I can see it being used this way exclusively, or a whole terms learning could be placed on the canvas, allowing students to access the learning as they desire. Add a smart board to the classroom and any board work could be dumped on the canvas at the end of the lesson. This could create something similar to the maths galaxy on Khan Academy. I know I am only scratching the surface and am sure I will be utilising this with great regularity.